Soil Health - the Cornerstone of Life

Beginner Gardeners have come to my attention.  Many do not know where to begin, but they know they want to begin. A friend bought a few acres with the plans to 'garden'.  She also is raising chickens.  While I was reducing our garden beds, I potted up extra plants and gave them to her.  But the focus has been on the plants, and I'd be amiss if I do not give her some other information that will make a world of difference in her new garden.

That information is how, and why the soil is so critical to, not only her garden, but to the environment, and, as far as that goes, the planet. Here is why.

Millions, and billions of microorganisms reside in healthy soil.  The eat organic material, and the enzymes they excrete allow the roots of plants to take up nutrients as needed.  The problem I see as an organic gardener is the media blitzes proclaiming the praises of chemical fertilizers (Specifically, liquid fertilizers). Advertisers do not tell of the harmful effects on the soil.  Chemicals kill microbes and leaves the soil dead. Synthetic fertilizers will feed the roots of plants while it is liquid. However, the soil cannot retain nutrients, so more and more applications of synthetic fertilizers are needed to keep lawns or gardens growing. No amount of chemicals can make up for the benefits of good organic material re-introduced into the soil.

Soil structure that is less than optimal can prohibit roots from taking up moisture and nutrients. Also,sandy soil is so porous that water runs through it rapidly.  So fast that roots have minimal time to take advantage of the moisture.  Clay soils, on the other hand, are so dense, that air and water cannot get down into the roots, thereby suffocating them.

By adding compost to sandy soil, moisture is slowly moved through enabling roots to stay moist longer.  Compost added to clay soil open up the pores and allows air and water to move through the soil.  The diagram above indicates that air and water are vital to good soil, and as little as 5% organic matter can make a weak soil into a healthy base.

The term 'friable' may be used in this instance.  Making the soil crumble-able.  Good organic soil will do this easily.

Nature has a way of building rich organic soil.  The forest is a good example of allowing debris such as leaves, bark, and microbes to return to the earth as organic matter.  This decomposing is Nature at her best. Mimicking Nature is the best way to return to a way of living that many have forsaken.

Adding compost to the lawn and garden will go a long way to reestablishing the balance that nature intended.

Healthy soil improves water-holding capacity reducing runoff of surface water and drawing moisture down. 

These roots indicate that air and water are deep into the soil making for a more robust plant.

Organic soil can maximize plant growth by giving the microorganisms in the soil food.  They decompose the organic matter and return available nutrients to the plants.  Plants thrive and provide food, lodging, and oxygen to the world above.

The message I've tried to convey today is that we need to feed the soil, not the plant.  Healthy soil will take care of the plant's needs IF we take care of the soil. 

Organic Fertilizer–A Good Choice–Part 1

Good Choice for Our Lives 

This post on Organic Fertilizers is the first in a new series. Each of these seven posts will discuss 1) The Benefits of Organic Fertilizers, 2) The Sources of Organic Fertilizers, 3) Plants Used for Organic Fertilizers, 4) Animals Used Organic Fertilizers, 5) Ocean and Sea Products Used for Organic Fertilizers, 6) Other Sources for Organic Fertilizers, and 7) Minerals Used in Organic Growing,

I have been in the garden my whole life.  My grandparents had an extensive garden and I got to set out bedding plants, water them, and even climb the apple tree to pick as much as I could reach. 


In the early 1950’s, the garden and gardening practices were organic. Grandfather used mulch and decayed leaves (compost) for nutrients.

At that time commercial fertilizers started to come onto the market.  Wow, they were a hit!.  Fast growing plants, dark green color, and the smell ( ! ) let all the neighbors know that we were up on the latest and greatest!


The more I gardened I had the gradual awareness that something in the garden was different from when I was a child.  We were told to buy ‘veggie wash’ products for our food, water sources were having to be monitored for safety, and the cost of everything was going up, up, up. Feeling the need to be more environmentally responsible, I started to make changes in my own yard.  That’s when I discovered some very troubling things.





As Environmental Protection Agency standards came about, I found that many of the polluters were actually recycling. Wow! Could these rules really be helping?  Well, as it turns out many companies with toxic waste to dispose of were not properly handling this waste. Instead, they were using fertilizer production facilities to incorporate these toxic chemicals like lead, cadmium, dioxin and mercury.
The way these heavy metals got by this process is that only the top three elements of the fertilizer must be named. Labeling laws made this easy. Therefore the remaining or ‘other’ ingredients could be anything.  Consequently, millions of acres of farmland were spread with these toxins. 

Note : 85.05% of the ingredients in this bag are not specifically named and labeled ‘Other Ingredients.'
Many heavy metals stay in the ground and are taken up in crops used for animal and human consumption. Since chemical fertilizers are generally water soluble, they are taken up by plants rather quickly. And because they are water soluble, they leach out of the soil, into ground water or watersheds that feed our streams rivers, and lakes.

Nitrates are particularly harmful to infants and other health risks are becoming more prevalent.  Since we have only been using these products for about 60 years, we may not have seen the worst yet.
 
Another environmental issue I have with chemical fertilizers is that in the process of creating synthetic nitrogen, natural gas is heated to combine atmospheric nitrogen with the hydrogen of ammonia. The amount of natural gas to make just 200 bags of fertilizer would heat a home for a year.  Fossil fuels in each 40 pound bag is the equivalent of 2.5 gallons of gasoline.
 
Organic fertilizers are made with minimal processing using natural sources.  Using plant parts that are left over from the food industry like the leaves and stems is a good use of all the plant.  Organic fertilizers use animal parts that are left over from processing food with little or no waste.
 
Using materials in this way is a good example of sustainability of this industry. Plants grow each year and animals breed each year so the supply continues.


Organic fertilizers work differently from chemical products. 

 
Micro-organisms in the soil feed on the organic material that organic fertilizers provide.  The micro-organisms create enzymes that allow the nutrients to be absorbed by the plant.  Chemical fertilizers, which are generally water soluble, are taken up directly by the plant and leave nothing in the soil for long-term feeding.  The chemicals can actually destroy colonies of micro-organisms and leave the soil dead.  Organic fertilizers feed the millions of microbes in the soil for a soil that is alive.

Since organic fertilizers feed the soil, the nutrients is more steadily taken up by the plants. Quick start and stop feeding of chemical fertilizers can actually weaken the plant’s health. (Some chemical fertilizers are being manufactured with a time-release formula for an extended feed. The feed is still a chemical one, however.)  Plants on an organic regime are healthier and healthy plants are more resistant to damage from insects and diseases.  This long-term feeding can save money by reducing the number of applications the garden needs each season.



These are 17 nutrients that organic fertilizers provide.  Trace elements are key to a healthy plant.  If even one element is missing, the plant can suffer.( This is evident in the case of blossom-end rot of tomatoes.  The nutritional deficiency of calcium is the cause of this disorder.)  The chemical fertilizers on the market have the N-P-K  in the amounts listed.  But a well balanced diet is not available in the chemical products and the other 14 nutrients are missing. 



One last problem with chemical fertilizers is that damage seen here.  The chemicals were put down too heavily, or were not watered in well and burned this yard. High salt levels are common in chemical fertilizers. The low salt levels of organic fertilizers compared to chemical products is safer, too. Organic fertilizers will not burn plants like this chemical fertilizer did.  Organic fertilizers can be applied at any time.  The microbe activity will be low in colder temperatures, but when the soil temperatures rise, and the spring rains come, the organic material will become food for the micro-organisms and make nutrients available to the plants as they begin to grow.  And again, the natural material decomposes – not like chemical products that dissolve.


Next post will discuss the sources of organic fertilizers.  If you have any questions regarding this article, please feel free to leave me a comment.  I will be happy to address any issues.  Thanks for your time today.

Worms – What Good Are They Anyway?

Worms Indicate Soil Health

The Earth worm – a garden partner that gets ‘no respect’.  As I was digging weeds and dividing perennials this weekend I gently returned the worms back to the soil. I also noticed little mounds of soil in the lawn and pine needles standing on end in the beds.






The mighty worm did this!  Some species of worms stay close to the surface of the soil.  They are the Epigeic species.  They are small worms that are not harmed when soil temperatures rise and moisture levels lessen.  The Epigeic worms are commonly found in the compost pile. The Endogeic species stay in the upper levels of soil, where their tunnels are more temporary.  The tunnels fill up with casts (poop) as they eat through the soil and deposit it as castings.  The deep burrowing species, the Anecic species are commonly know as night-crawlers, and they burrow vertically, sometimes as deep as 8 feet into the ground. The night-crawlers are the guys that leave the mound of debris at the mouth of the borrow.

Earth Worms have both male and female parts which is known as hermaphrodites.  Worms mate throughout the year.

After mating each worm constructs a cocoon and within a couple of weeks new worms are hatched.  The cocoons are only about 1/4”, and if I have seen one, I didn’t know it.  I’ll keep a watch out now!


The earthworms enhance the soil in four ways.
1) The enhance soil structure.

 
Pores in the soil hold air, and water - The basics for plant growth. If the pores are too small, oxygen cannot get to roots of plants.  If the pores are too large, water drains away from roots too quickly.


2) Worms enhance microorganism activity in soil.  As worms eat microorganisms, such as fungi, bacteria, protozoa and nematodes, the castings they leave are even more filled with active microorganisms.  As the worms digest their food, they produce castings that are already digested nutrients, which makes the nutrients  readily available to plants. Other microorganisms deposited  in the poop, create enzymes that plants also use to convert nutrients.

3) Earthworms mix the soil.  They push up the nutrient rich casting that give texture to the soil.  They also draw down into the soil, debris that will decompose, feed the microorganisms, and create usable nutrients for plants. It is estimated that worms turn over of the top six inches of soil every ten to twenty years. 

4) Earthworms increase water filtration by improving the porosity. This can reduce runoff and decrease pollution that drains into our watershed.
 
This picture shows the lack of organic material in the pale, dense soil.  Note the roots are barely penetrating the surface.  The second picture is one year after organic matter has been added.  The soil is darker, roots extend deep into the soil.  Microorganisms get active when the organic matter, such as beneficial worm castings, is available.  Worms generate tons of casting per acre, per year, dramatically changing the soil structure.
Worm manure or casting is rich in nutrients.  Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium, as well as Magnesium are readily available to plants. The casting create a home for microorganisms, and provide a base for water to be absorbed and held in the soil. 

Few predators bother the earthworm.  We know that birds feed on earthworms, but so do turtles and toads. Moles in the lawn or garden usually indicate a high population of worms also. 
 
As worms enhance the soil from below,  we can also add worm casting to the garden and lawn.  Commercial products are in the marketplace and are easy to apply.  Since the product is odorless and all natural, measuring is not a worry. Apply a scoop to planting holes, along furrows of vegetables, and top dress existing plant material.

Making a ‘tea’ with worm casting is another way to water and feed plants.  Soak worm casting in a bucket for 12-24 hours, strain, and apply to the lawn or garden. 

Vermiculture, the cultivating of worms and worm castings, is another source of  beneficial nutrients for the lawn and garden. I will explain this practice at another time.

Using chemical herbicides and pesticides on the soil can harm the life beneath the surface.  Chemicals will damage the balance of nature and could take years to restore that balance.

Organic matter in any form is good for the soil.  The garden debris can turn your soil into an active bio culture teeming with microorganisms and worms.


If you build it (good soil), they (worms) will come.  Have you used worm castings?  What was your experience? 
Thanks for stopping by today.







 



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Make Lasagna Garden with Fall Cleanup

Lasagna Gardens--Layers of Goodness - 

The leaves are really falling at my home here in SW Ohio.  And with this great source of organic material, I set out to put it to use in a lasagna garden

So I've put on my thinking cap, and decided to ease my chores which are seemingly endless.

Usually, I mulch the leaves back into the yard, adding much needed organic nutrients.  I've also bagged a few loads of grass and leaves to add to the compost pile.  Over winter this will turn into black gold for my spring garden. 

                                 Another option for an organic gardener is to make a lasagna garden.

Planning ahead for your spring garden is sooo easy.  Find a spot along a fence, or an area out in the sunshine for a vegetable or cutting garden. Raid a local dumpster for cardboard, or gather old newspapers at least 7 - 10 sheets thick and lay out your garden.

Here is where the 'lasagna' comes into play.  Layers, and layers.  Add the leaves, and grass clippings on top of watered down cardboard.  Overlap the paper layer to block out any weeds. That's right!  No removal of sod, weeds or even rocks is necessary.  Add peat moss several inches deep, and add layers of compost  too.

Anything you would put into your compost pile is fair game.  Pruned branches, kitchen scraps, (no bones or meat), aged manures, coffee grounds, shredded junk mail, wood chips, or bonfire ash. 

 The bedding material from the kids rabbits is also great. Add bone meal and wood ash for a good source of Phosphorous and Potassium - the P-K, of the N-P-K needed by your plants.

Just think how nature gardens - the forest floor is a layer upon layer, season after season of debris which turns into the dark, rich loam we covet in our own gardens.   

This lasagna bed has a border of straw bales so this gardening is approximately 14" deep.  As the organic material degrades, the microorganisms get to work to provide nutrient rich planting material.  This also makes the need for fertilizers less next season.  Avoid using treated lumber as a border.  The chemicals can affect your food crops.

The no-till garden bed that is loose, crumbly, and fluffy is a great advantage.  Over wintering your lasagna garden is an ideal way to plan for spring.  We have all the ingredient for a very productive crop next year. 
The moisture of the fall rains, and the freezing and thawing of the winter weather aid in the breakdown of the organic materials. 

The lasagna garden has many advantages.  The no-digging, fewer weeds, holds water well, and drains well.  Using less fertilizer lowers you costs and the organic material is free for the taking. 

AAHHH....

Envision your space. Enrich your space.  Enjoy your space. 

Thanks for visiting today. What will you do with your spare time?